Early Risers.

[The Stationmaster]

36 minutes ago, grandadbob said:

Bloody cheek!  Anyone would think he was welcome here. 

 

 

 

Hmm, 'ours' seems to be keener on sleeping in the porch rather than anywhere in the garden but he's quite an aged fellah(?).  However we haven't seen hm around for some time so he might well have popped his paws elsewhere.

 

Meanwhile mum cat has adopted a new tactic.  When she settles down on our bed at night I usually relocate her to a different part of the bed so I can get in.  Obviously this is not entirely appreciated so last night I found her halfway inside my side of the bed and firmly rooted to the spot.  i eventually managed to shift her but later she was back although that time she didn't sneak under the covers.

[Barry O]

this zooming meeting with folk in Australia wears you out...

 

And been busy penning 3 PMs on here....

 

 

Baz

[jonny777]

The snow has duly arrived here. I know it is not anything special for those living in snowy areas; but in the West Country at sea level and only a few miles from the Bristol Channel snow is not a regular occurrence. 

 

We sent a parcel to Lancashire earlier in the week. Unfortunately, the nearest parcel drop off shop is Yodel (yes I know). The sending went ok. The receiver had a text to say the parcel had arrived in his local shop, so went to collect it. 

 

He had ID and the parcel number/tracking number I emailed him. However, he had no barcode so even though he was standing next to the box with his name on it, and identification of his name & address, he couldn't take it away without a barcode. 

 

He texted me to ask if I had a barcode, and I said yes - and sent him a copy of it from my phone. Would that work? No, it has to be a collection barcode, and mine was a sending barcode. No collection barcode, no parcel. 

 

He tried the website help box on his phone, but the chap in Pakistan seemed unable to do anything, except tell him 'no barcode, no parcel'. Very helpful - not. Finally after turning rather stroppy, he was given a phone number which he had to ring, confirm his details, confirm my details, confirm both shop details, hand the call over to the shop assistant to confirm their details - and finally the parcel was free to go. 

 

Jeez, half the morning gone just on that. Progress, they call it. 

[Simon G]

Afternoon all,

 

Still bitterly cold here today, especially in the wind.  We are sheltered from the current south easterly, but it is still not particularly nice out.  We had a walk, then took the car to return empty horse manure bags, and came back with a boot full of firewood.  The wood had been dumped by the roadside on a country lane, and was perfectly OK, so I got some free wood and cleared up some fly tipping at the same time.

 

Now settling down to watch today’s rugby.  Hopefully England will put on a better display than last week (it couldn’t be any worse!)

[grandadbob]

Now sitting in another chair ready for kick off in 25 minutes.  I will be staying in this one for the duration of two matches whatever is said by my “better half!”  ( and she’s already made a couple of comments about the situation  )

[iL Dottore]

A fairly successful second attempt at a lemon cake with candied lemon peel and a lemon mascarpone filling. The problem that I am finding with the cake, is that it is just too dense. so for my next attempt, I will bake two cakes and then sandwich them together to get the necessary height (at the moment, the current iteration of the recipe makes the cake look like an oversized custard creme biscuit) or maybe I should consider a different type of batter for the cake (a Victoria sponge kind of thing, but flavoured with lemon extract and lemon zest?). 
Taste, if not appearance and texture, are pretty much spot on. Here is a photo of the cake cooling on the patio after being filled.

However, I am not giving up on it yet. For the simple reason that it took a couple of goes to get my Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut Bar inspired cake to where I wanted it.

And now, it’s Beer O’clock!...

iD

Edited February 13, 2021 by iL Dottore
Typo

[leopardml2341]

25 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

A fairly successful second attempt at a lemon cake with candied lemon peel and a lemon mascarpone filling. The problem that I am finding with the cake, is that it is just too dense. so for my next attempt, I will bake two cakes and then sandwich them together to get the necessary height (at the moment, the current iteration of the recipe makes the cake look like an oversized custard creme biscuit) or maybe I should consider a different type of batter for the cake (a Victoria sponge kind of thing, but flavoured with lemon extract and lemon zest?). 
Taste, if not appearance and texture, are pretty much spot on. Here is a photo of the cake cooling on the patio after being filled.

However, I am not giving up on it yet. For the simple reason that it took a couple of goes to get my Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut Bar inspired cake to where I wanted it.

And now, it’s Beer O’clock!...

iD

I'd eat it

[leopardml2341]

49 minutes ago, Simon G said:

........and came back with a boot full of firewood.  The wood had been dumped by the roadside on a country lane, and was perfectly OK, so I got some free wood and cleared up some fly tipping at the same time.

You should be safe, provided that there were no cameras and if there were that the local council don't play the recording backwards just to get their conviction rate up

Edited February 13, 2021 by leopardml2341

[New Haven Neil]

An inch of snaa here now, all buses cancelled, upside down car in Douglas (the Big City) no surprise there!

 

The worst has passed I think, looking at the radar, but the weather warning is valid until 1800 hrs.  Still -1c here, and very windy.

 

 

[TheQ]

Afternoon Awl,

Shelf installation went well, as well as making future shelves for the other side. There is however no more mdf until I get the landrover sorted. On that, a quick inspection has revealed the + lead from the solenoid to the starter motor is loose.

So tomorrow when it's supposed to be somewhat warmer than the feels like -9 at the moment. I shall furtle about in a tiny space under the turbo charger. Remove, clean, refit, and tighten up.

 

Also a wire brush set for the grinder arrived yesterday, and was put to good use today. The piece I cut off the trailer was trimmed to the correct shape, then wire brushed.. After that it was zinc painted.

 

Ben the I want the long walk Collie was indulged.. cold.. I think the brass monkeys were hiding somewhere warmer..and still loosing things.. luckily I think it was during the artillery's lunch break..

The ground was frozen solid all the way round..

 

Of hunting shooting and fishing rights. Those and all other rights to our land were bought off of Kings College Cambridge about 1927.

 

A glass of red is now disappearing..

 

[Erichill16]

1 hour ago, iL Dottore said:

A fairly successful second attempt at a lemon cake with candied lemon peel and a lemon mascarpone filling. The problem that I am finding with the cake, is that it is just too dense. so for my next attempt, I will bake two cakes and then sandwich them together to get the necessary height (at the moment, the current iteration of the recipe makes the cake look like an oversized custard creme biscuit) or maybe I should consider a different type of batter for the cake (a Victoria sponge kind of thing, but flavoured with lemon extract and lemon zest?). 
Taste, if not appearance and texture, are pretty much spot on. Here is a photo of the cake cooling on the patio after being filled.

However, I am not giving up on it yet. For the simple reason that it took a couple of goes to get my Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut Bar inspired cake to where I wanted it.

And now, it’s Beer O’clock!...

iD

Polybear not been on here today. I wonder if he’s on a mission?
Bears have a good sense of smell so wouldn’t leave the cake on the patio too long.

[The White Rabbit]

19 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

Writtle near Chelmsford on the A414 today.

 

And a bit further westwards, a similar formation, though possibly a different cause: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-56029510

 

Time to scurry off, I hear the anthems playing...

[Tony_S]

3 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

cake cooling on the patio

That would not be safe here at present. Anything vaguely edible attracts the flock of gulls circling overhead. A week ago they were not willing to land in our small garden but they are now. Even if the gulls (black headed variety) don’t appear the resident wood pigeons appear. They don’t even seem bothered by the gulls though. 
Tony

[Gwiwer]

5 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

That would not be safe here at present. Anything vaguely edible attracts the flock of gulls circling overhead. A week ago they were not willing to land in our small garden but they are now. Even if the gulls (black headed variety) don’t appear the resident wood pigeons appear. They don’t even seem bothered by the gulls though. 
Tony

I wonder if Mike could lend you some of his Red Kites. They’ll keep gulls at bay whilst being strictly carnivorous. Cake will be safe 

[New Haven Neil]

Eeuw.

 

[Tony_S]

2 minutes ago, Gwiwer said:

I wonder if Mike could lend you some of his Red Kites. They’ll keep gulls at bay whilst being strictly carnivorous. Cake will be safe 

I really don’t mind the gulls. We don’t put cake out to cool anyway. Seeing them practice landings is quite exciting. We don’t get much excitement nowadays. Not that I particularly crave excitement!
We think other people must have put lots of birdie treats out when it was the Garden Birdspotting weekend recently as we had hardly any. Since then as well as the usual birds we have had a pair of redwing and a jackdaw visiting. 
This is not Red Kite country . When we have visited Reading or Kettering the kites are very noticeable in the sky. 

[PhilJ W]

Afternoon all from Estuary-Land. The use-by-date lottery means tonights dinner is going to be liver and bacon with sweet potato mash and broccoli followed by bread and butter pudding. 

2 hours ago, Erichill16 said:

Polybear not been on here today. I wonder if he’s on a mission?
Bears have a good sense of smell so wouldn’t leave the cake on the patio too long.

I suspect this is all part of a plot by Captain Sinister to capture a cake aficionado and hold him to ransom and the cake is the bait. I have nothing to fear as bread pudding is in plentiful supply.

[pH]

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Great progress to report, she has started to say her first multi syllable  word, namely "bubbles" with a great smilevon her face as she chases them round.  

‘Bubble’ was our oldest son’s first multi syllable word, too. Different reason, though - I had a fermentation going in the airing cupboard.

[simontaylor484]

Evening all 

 

Good to see Bill Bishop back like others have said I can't remember him posting anything complaint worthy.

 

Still blooming cold here making arthritis hurt like mad. 

 

Pyrocanthus berries that are left are being stripped by clocks of sparrows.

 

Our foxes haven't been seen for a.couple of weeks of could be that we have missed them.

[PeterBB]

So England did a bit better after an Italian shock although I thought that they Italians played rather well.  Bit disappointed with the Scotland Wales result but that young Wales wing ...

 

Wish IDs cake was here - looks rather nice to say the least ... but PolyBear left 'on a secret mission' ...

 

First word for elder son was 'Florence' - said just the once very very clearly.  Florence was our cat so we must have called her rather often as in later years she became just 'FloFlo'.

 

No snow in South Derbyshire but b***dy cold.  Our 'pet' pigeon ( a Swedish variety apparently) came to his table and refused to eat and just sat, looked and stared... on checking the food on the table was frozen so SWMBO put out some fresh and almost before she had put it on he was there.  Had the rare sight of a magpie yesterday and for some reason the wrens, sparrows, dunnets and blackbirds just 'disappeared'.

 

Best day in ages for young son - hope it is the first of many many in years to come.

Edited February 13, 2021 by PeterBB
Typo error

[Tony_S]

34 minutes ago, simontaylor484 said:

I can't remember him posting anything complaint worthy

I suspect the person who complained isn’t around anymore and has gone back to living under a bridge hiding from assertive goats. 

[tigerburnie]

Well that was quite an adventurous day, cleared our path of snaw to aid the Tesco's delivery lads mission, then decided we'd go fetch the prescription for SWMBO from the big village around 4 miles away. We started off ok, then the wind started blowing the snow off the fields and in places the drifts were a foot or more, but we seemed to be moving quite well. We came round a corner and there was a rear wheel drive beemer stuck in a drift a good 2 feet deep, so we turned round and managed to get home. Our road has a bit of a climb up to it and we had a bit of wheel slip getting up it, so some bright spark decided to fetch his spade, shift some ice and got some salt from the tub next to the bus stop, took me nearly an hour. An hour later the delivery van pulls up outside our house, he was most impressed with my work, he'd reversed off the station road, I really wasn't expecting to see him, so I celebrated with cake and Malt Whisky...........

[brianusa]

8 hours ago, grandadbob said:

Bloody cheek!  Anyone would think he was welcome here. 

 

 

 

AAWWwwww!

       Brian.

[pH]

I’m about to go out and shovel this. I may be some time.
 

 

 

[brianusa]

5 hours ago, New Haven Neil said:

An inch of snaa here now, all buses cancelled, upside down car in Douglas (the Big City) no surprise there!

 

The worst has passed I think, looking at the radar, but the weather warning is valid until 1800 hrs.  Still -1c here, and very windy.

 

 

Still snaaing this morning after a night of heavy snow, well over six inches, all in twelve hours and we're only 300' above sea level.  Rumour has it that there is a coyote in the vicinity so our cat has not been allowed out this morning much to her chagrin, not that she would be able to do much with snow this deep.

       Brian.